End-gate for coal-cars



(No Model.) v 2 sheets-sheet 1.

D. MOKINLEY.

BNDGATE POR GOAL GARS.

No. 369,018. Patented Aug. 30, 1887.

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mnum u l ""lllllllilll i mmllll (No Model.) `2 sheets-sheet 2.

D. MGKINLEYV.

END GATE POR GOAL GARS.

No. 369,018. Patented Aug. v30, 1887.

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UNITED STATES PATENT ErrcEo DAVID MCKINLEY, OF TOLEDO, OHIO.

END-GATE FOR COAL-CARS.

SPECIFICATION forming pan; of Letters Patent No. 369,018, dated August 30, 1887.

' Application filed May 2, 1887. Serial No. 236,899. (No model.)

.T all whom, it may' concern:

Be it known that l, DAVID MOKINLEY, a citizen of the United States, residing at Toledo, in the county of Lucas and State of Ohio, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in a Coal-Oar End-Gate; and I do hereby declare that the following is a full, clear, and exact description of the invent-ion, which will enable others skilled in the art to which it appertains to make and use the same, reference being had to the accompanying drawings, and to the lettersof reference marked thereon, which form part of this specilication.

My invention relates to an improved coalcar endgate, and has for its object to provide means whereby the movable ends of a car can be folded or laid down in a horizontal position within the car without danger of breakingits pivotal attachment, and also when raised to its vertical position within the car shall be capable of being rigidly attached to the sides of the car by means that shall also serve the purpose of preventing the sides from spreading, or, if spread, can be utilized to bring the sides to their proper position,and at the same time so attach the devices by which this result is attained that they shall be out of the way at all times, whether the end-gate is folded or raised, and when lowered shall be protected from breakage or abrasion from any freight that may be thrown upon the end-gate. I attain these objects by the mchanism illustrated in the drawings, in which--A Figure l is an elevation of one end of a car provided with my improved end-gate raisedin position for the car to be filled, showing also the tension-rods attached. Fig. 2 is an elevation of the same, showing the end-gate folded and illustrating the action of the iexible attachments serving as hinges when obstruction is met by the gate when in the act of folding. Fig. 3 is a perspective view of the inner side of the end-gate. Figs. 4, 5, and G are detail views.

Like letters of reference indicate like parts throughout the several views.`

Adesignates the car;` B, the end-gatehinged to the car by iiexible attachments E, serving as hinges, attached to the car by hooks F, secured to cleatD and to the end-gate by hooks H, attached at the lower side of the gate.

K designates tension-rods having hooks at one end, and being screw-threaded at their opposite ends and provided with hand-nuts K.

L vis an iron attached to the side of the car by bolts,having an enlarged right-angled portion, M, adapted to rest as a brace against the upper edge of the car. This iron has also a perforation through which tension-rod K is placed.

Iare strap-irons attached to the upper side of the end-gate and bent at a right angle to closely fit its upper edge. These straps terminate in hooks t. The hooks F and H, by which the ends of the chain are fastened, are formed with a strap portion, G, perforated for bolts f-` one or more, as desired-and end in hooks G', of sufcient length to receive the chain-links and be driven into or entirely through the cleats D and C, respectively.

The exible attachments employed, which serve as hinges,are shown as chains E, and are so proportioned in their lengths that they can be attached to the car at each side and a short distance from the bottom, and are provided at their lower ends with links of a length corresponding tothe thickness of the endgate, the remaining links being but about one-half this length. The lower ends of these chains are attached by hooks H,bolted to the inner sides of the end-gate, these hooks being preferably directl y opposite vcleat C. Vith this construction, when the endgate' is raised to its vertical position in the car,the chains should be of j ust suflicient length to be taut, as shown in Fig. l, and when the end-gate is lowered, should there be an obstruction in the way, as shown at N, Fig. 2, the top of the gate is permitted to fall to its position on the door of the car without injury to these iieXible attachments, as is the case with any of the forms of attachment now in use.

f With the present mode of securing the upper portion of the end-gate there is no means by which the sides of the car can be prevented from spreading. As a consequence, it is found necessary to employ straining-rods running through the end of the car from one side to the other. These rods are greatly in the way when in place and in danger of being lost when removed. By the use ofthe tension de- ICQ vice the end-gate is firmly held in position and v the sides ofthe car prevented from spreading. This device is operated as follows: The end gate is swung to its vertical position, bringing strap I and hook i within reach of the straining-rods K, the hook of which is placed over hook z' and hand-nut K screwed iirinl y to place, bringing the sides iirml y against the ends of the end-gate. Then it is desired to load the car with bridge-timber, railroad-iron, telegraphpoles, or any long freight extending beyond the length of the car, the straining-rods are loosened and unhooked from hooks i, the rods dropping to the sides of the car entirely out of the way, as shown in Fig. 2, and the end-gate is folded or laid upon the bottom ofthe car, the chains and hooks upon the end-gate dropping to a position out of danger of breakage or abrasion from the freight, the upper hook being entirely protected, as shown.

The advantages of my device will be at once apparentwhen it is considered that in 'the constructions now in use there is no provision for preventing breakage to the hinges when coal or any obstruction is left upon the earfioor when the end-gate is lowered, and also that it is necessary to employ stakes at the ends of the car-a necessity entirely obviated by my improvement. i

My device is cheap in construction, durable in its nature, and can be readily attached to any car now in use for the purposes intended, and without alteration or involving additional expense.

Having described my invention, what I claim, and desire to secure by Letters Patent, 1s-

1. In an end-gate for coal-cars, flexible attachments serving as hinges attached to the end-gate and to the sides of the car, as and for the purposes set forth.

2. In a coal-car, flexible attachments serving as hinges attached to the sides of the car and to the end-gate,adaptcd to drop to a position out of contact with the freight when the end-gate is down, as and for the purpose set forth.

8. In a coal-car, an end-gate flexibly connected with thc side of the car,in combination with straining-rods connected to the end-gate and car, as and for the purpose set forth.

4. In a coal-car, an end-gate attached at its lower side to the car by flexible connections and at its upper side by straining rods, as and for the purpose set forth.

5. In a coal-car, an end-gate attached to the sides of the ear by connections attached to the upper and lower sides of the end-gate and adapted to fold out of the way when the gate is down, substantially as set forth.

In testimony that I claim the foregoing as my own I hereby affix my signature in presence of two witnesses.

DAVID MCKINLEY.

Witnesses:

WILLIAM WEBSTER, J. E. Raritan. 

